Arena

Brisas del Frayle is an afro-descendant village in Colombia, supplying the local and regional construction markets with manually dug sand. Surrounded by sugarcane plantations, the village is sustained by the Frayle River, which constitutes a fundamental pillar in the village; it is from this that they draw meaning and sustain their community life. Fighting for their right to manually extract sand, the villagers have several times sought to formalize their activity, but without success. However, a competing mining claim is threatening their livelihoods and has now been granted a concession title by the National Mining Agency. 'Arena' follows the villagers as they mobilize and appeal to the government institutions, to defend their livelihoods and their fundamental rights to work, territory, cultural integrity and a dignified life.